Electric lantern



J. W. SMITH.

ELECTRIC LANTERN. APPLICATION FILED FEB- 17. 1920.

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Patented Dev. 20, 11921.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 241), i921.

Application filed February 1?, 1920. serial Flo. 359,4;5U.

To all to ham it may concern Be it knownthat l, JEROME W. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Walla Walla, in the county of Walla Walla, State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Lanterns; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to portable electric lights, and more especially it is a handlanternof that type adapted to receive a single dry cell or a battery of cells connected in series and in circuit with an electric light or bulb, the circuit being closed by a switch to turn on the light.

The primary object of the invention is to simplify the construction so that the bulb can be screwed into place or removed when necessary without affecting other parts, or

the battery may be replaced by another, also without affecting the other parts. I

Specifically, the invention lies mainly in the construction and disposition of the switch lever and the parts with which it coacts, the lever being held at either extreme of its movement by wedging its handle into the restricted ends of a peculiar slot in the wall of the lantern body.

Details of two forms of this invention are set forth below and shown in the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is. an elevation of the lamp complete, a portion of its wall and cover'being in section.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through one type of the invention on the line 22 of Fig. 1, with the battery omitted, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and the battery included.

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the parts within the body, showing a slightly different construction of switch, and Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

The body 1 is of metal and preferably cylindrical, having a flat bottom 2 and an open topclosed by a cover 3 rendered removable in any suitable way as by threads 4 in its skirt as seen where Fig. 1 is broken away. In fact, this body may well be and is herein called a can. Details of the handle 5 are not important. By preference the body carries a skeleton structure or cage composed of legs 6 depending from it and forewith the metal of the can.

united by a base such, as a ring 7 on which the entire device can stand so as to hold the electric light bulb out of contact with the support and prevent it from being accidentally struck. Said electric light herein lettered L is the ordinary bulb of commerce [carry a collar threaded for this purpose.

@verlying and secured upon the bottom is a sheet 13 of insulating material such as rubber. Thewall of the can is provided with a slot 14 standing in a plane above the surface of this sheet and shaped as best seen in Fig. 1, the slot being wider at itsmidlength as seen at 15 and its edges converging to the extremities 16 for a purpose yet to appear. Passed through the center of theinsulator sheet directly above the aperture 12 is a plug 17, its upper end adapted to niake contact with one of the fingers of the battery and its lower end to make contact with the axial terminal of the'lamp whereas the ring terminal of the latter is in constant contact with the bottom and there- Secured upon the insulator sheet is a metal strip 18, preferably in the form of a ring surrounding the plug 17, and the other finger F on the battery rests on this strip or ring. The latter is upbent at one pointas at 19 directly opposite the midlength of the slot. The circuit is now complete from the ring through one finger into the battery, thence through its other finger and the plug to and through the lamp and into the metal of the can, and a circuit closer is necessary to connect some part of the can with said strip or ring in order to close the circuit and light the lamp.

The circuit closer shown herein in Figs. 2 and 3 is a switch lever 20 overlying the insulator sheet and pivotally connected with the metal of the can byra pivot pin 21 assing down through the lever and insu ator in that in the first case the lever must be at the midlength of the slot toclose the circuit and the bottom 2 of the can as best seen in Fig. 3; and as this lever is swung on its pivot its inner end 22 makes contact with.

the upbent portion 19 of the strip or ring when the outer end or handle 25 stands at the midlength 15 of said slot. Current now flows from the ring through the lever and its pivot to the bottom 2 of the can. When the handle '25 is swung to either side it wedges in the contracted end 16 of the slot, while its inner end 22comes out of contact with the ring and the circuit is broken.

In the type of theinvention shown in Figs. 4. and 5, the lever 30 is pivoted at 31 directly beneath and capable of movement at its inner end under the upbent portion 19 of the ring,-while its outer end or handle projects through the slot as already described; and the lever may have a hand piece 35 on the outer extremity of its handle if desired. When this lever 30 stands at the midlength 15 of the slot 14, the circuitis broken, and when it is. swung to either side and wed ed into the narrow end 16 of the slot it is Thus it will be Seen that the operation of the levers in the two types is distinctly different whereas in the second case it must be at one end of the slot to close the circuit.

In use, the operator grasps the handle 5 low the hand, and both protects the lamp 1 from rain and keeps the light of the lamp out of the eyes of the user; The knob or hand piece on the handle of the lever is shown herein as directly beneath one end of i the bail or handle attached to the body of the can, but this bail may take any appropriate form and be attached to the can at any oint. I have not thought'it necessary to il ustrate more than one cell of battery,

-butit is obvious that the invention is not limited in this respect nor in respect of other details which may Well be left to the manufacturer. I

What is claimed as new is:

1. An electric lantern comprising a metal can having in its wall near itsbottom a slot and in said bottom a central aperture for receiving the lamp with the ring terminal of the latter in contact with the metal bottom, an insulator sheet upon the bottom below said slot, a plug through the center of the sheet for making contact with the axial terminal of said lamp, a metal ring on the sheet, a battery in the, can with its poles respectively connected with said plug and ring, anda switch lever for controlling the circuit from the ring to the can, the handle ofthe lever projecting through said slot.

eld there and the circuit is" closed.

sition, as described.

2. An electriclantern comprising a metal 1 can having in its wall near its bottom a slot widened at its midlength and in said bottom through the center of the sheet-for making contact with the axial terminal of said lamp,

a metal ring on the sheet, a battery in the can with its poles respectively corinected with said plug and ring, and'a pivoted switch lever for controlling the circuit from the ring to the can, the handle of the lever projectingthrough said slot and movable in the slot and out of contact with the wall of the can only when it stands at the widenedmidlength of said slot. I

3.- An electric lantern comprising a metal can having in its wall near its bottom a slot whose edges converge to'their ends leaving the midlength of the slot wider, said can also having in said bottom a central aperture for receiving the lamp with the ring terminal of the latter in contact with the metal bottom, an insulator sheet upon the bottom below. said slot, a plug through the center of the sheet for making contact with the axial terminal of said lamp, a metal ring on thesheet, a battery in the can with its'poles respectively connected with said plug and ring, and a switch lever overlying said sheet and pivoted thereon with its pivot constituting an, electrical connection between it and the can bottom, the inner end of the lever lying across'and being mov-ableinto and out of contact with the ring, the outer end of the lever projecting through and being movable in said slot, the restricted ends of the latter holding theleverin either extreme po- 4. In an electric lantern, the combination with a metal can having in its wall a slot and through its bottom an aperture for receiving the lamp with the ring terminal of the latter in contact with the metal bottom, an insulator sheet upon the bottom, a plug through the sheet for contact with the ax'al terminal of said lamp, a metal strip on t e sheet upbent opposite said slot, the can adapted to receive a battery with its poles respectively in contact with saidplug and plate"; of a pivot rising, from the bottom through said sheet, and a lever overlying the sheet and mounted on the pivot, its outer end adapted to be moved in said slot to place its inner end in contact with the upbent portion of the strip, asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses;

" JEROMEIWW. SMITH. 

